Laffy String
by Brendalwood
Summary: Its Elizabeths first birthday as president and Henry and her core staff have plans. Sweet laughter and tears of joy. Just love for these characters for Birthday week
1. LaffyStringPt1

This is a two shot. It's hopefully spelled and grammar corrected. It's just love for Bess and Henry and the family. It's just fun. It takes place before S6 starts as that begins on day 97 of her Presidency and that would be April of 2020 by my math. I have Bess being born on Feb 25 1968. She is 2 years younger than Tea and Henry is younger than Tim. I had fun writing it

Xox. Happy Birthday to Tea and Tim. Part 2 coming this weekend for his special day Reviews please! Bad or good.

...

It was February 25, 2021 and that meant one thing. Elizabeth's Birthday. She was 53 today, and it was her first birthday as President. So far it had been a good day. Upon awakening Henry had kissed her soundly and initiated a playful round of love making. He had even turned her over his knee and threatened birthday spankings and she had screeched with laughter. Begging him not to, she had explained that last year, 52 with one to grow on had hurt. So laughingly, he peppered her with kisses instead and she said she loved the new tradition. Sated and feeling very loved she made her way to the bathroom to get showered. She was thankful the love bites weren't in visible places. That had happened a few times and as a professor she had been made aware that some of her students noticed those turtleneck days. Isabelle and George had flat out teased her to death at CIA and once with the kids - Jason had prattled once on about how his dad was a pervert for marking up his wife. Elizabeth recalled sending the boy to his room and then becoming angry with Henry. He calmed down with the hickeys for a while, but a year later Stevie had come home with a hickey and when her parents objected she observed that her dad had a love bite or two on him, and now that she was over 18 she had a right to a sex life. Elizabeth had been so flustered that her orange juice had ended up all over her blouse. Nadine and Blake had been waiting in the car and all she had been able to say was that she was clumsy, and needed to change her outfit. Later that day she finally confessed her embarrassment to Henry and he had agreed she had a point, and they agreed to be more careful. So far it had been a few years and the marks stayed in places where prying eyes and modest clothing kept their passion for one another from becoming tabloid worthy.

As she was getting dressed and putting on her makeup Henry was in the tub and Elizabeth was able to look around and breathe. _Not only am I 53 but I am POTUS. I have an empty nest and wrinkles and Conrad isn't here anymore and I am so new to this house and this job. God. This is what I do. Upend my life every time I get good at something and trade it in for something new. _

Satisfied with her makeup, a blue blouse, grey slacks and the one pair of heels she owned that did not hurt, she turned her attention to her hair. She had grown it long, only because as Secretary she had worn it shorter for five years. On the campaign trail, getting a haircut was not something she had time for, and as it grew in - she and everyone around her seemed to think it looked good. So she got some long layers put in and had Alison teach her how to get it up nicely in a few different twists. She had become rather skilled at doing it herself and was proud of herself. Thanks to video chats she was able to show Alison - who had approved. Elizabeth briefly allowed herself to wonder if her mom would have enjoyed face time, and if her two girls and her mom would have done the salon- spa- mani-pedi thing once in a while. _Not today Lizzie. Don't go there. It will make you cry. Later. After you get your work done Madam President._ She went back to thinking about Alison.

She missed her Noodle. The fashionista had scored a wonderful opportunity to spend a year in Europe traveling around and designing clothing for various cultures for a new fashion house. As much as her Mom instincts wanted her children close for a couple of years as President; Elizabeth recognizes how important it was for each of the kids to start their adult lives. So while they all had a home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - Jason was off in a dorm at college. Ali was in Europe, and Stevie had completed her degree in social justice law and was working for an Amnesty NGO.

Her husband was doing an amazing job as FGOTUS. His focus on arts and veterans affairs and occasionally helping with ethical issues more than kept him busy. And his birthday was in a few days. He would be 58- and she was working on a surprise for him that she hoped would pan out.

Chef Cindy was kind that morning. Along with the egg white omelettes and ancient grains were bowls of fresh fruit and even large bear claws. Smiling, she and Henry wondered if Blake had something to do with this and Elizabeth decided to just mention her pleasure with breakfast to her executive assistant. Blake had always been the best assistant and while he enjoyed his year of policy work- when the campaign came up he had pledged his loyalty and flat out told her that without him on the bus she would be lucky to remain hydrated, hygienic and human for longer than a week. Chuckling to herself Elizabeth had agreed. Blake had been right. Staying clean and humane and hydrated had been a challenge. He had been hard on her and she was grateful. At home, all of the outfits were in a closet and the shower was right there, and if she missed her steps, her water bottle or her banana- between her husband and Blake it had been easy to make Elizabeth McCord seem organized and gorgeous. On that bus- _Ha_. All of her dirty clothes were mixed with the clean ones, her hair was a disaster. Glasses often were misplaced, and she could not keep track of her toothbrush to save her life. Elizabeth needed organizers to stay organized - so at home and at work, her desk had trays, cups and bins. On a bus, her life was a tangled mess and one day when she couldn't find so much as a clean pair of underwear and a pair of matching shoes, Blake had ordered everyone off the bus. He took the chaos and made it manageable and Elizabeth knew that Blake was the man to be her ROTUS. She apologized for having fired him and she begged him to be the organized part of her brain. He had agreed; so he soon became the 3rd coming of himself and she could never repay him. She was thrilled to give him time to go get engaged to Trevor and she swore that he would get more than a wet dry vac for his wedding gift. Elizabeth was dawdling that morning - lost in her thoughts and Henry grinned to himself. His wife was usually on task but her knew what her hang ups were. Birthdays and days with a lot of personal significance could turn her laser focus into diffused particles of light; and he personally thought it was adorable when she was like that. _I hope she gets to enjoy everything we have set up to surprise her with today. _He expected that by the time bed time rolled around she would be ready to hit him over the head with one of her reports; but that it would be worth it.

Henry pointed out that it was 730 am and that the Birthday girl had to accept that it was a Wednesday and she had to work. So he tucked a stray tendril behind her ear and swatted her behind once. Her blue eyes pierced him as she grabbed a second bear claw and she almost crashed into Mike B as she opened the door to head downstairs. As Mike scolded her for not looking where she was going and she realized that Henry was sitting back down looking as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth she huffed to herself. _Oh yes McCord. You'll get your surprise soon. And it may include some extras. _Mike was chattering and she sighed. She decided to sacrifice her second bear claw for a moment's peace. Thankfully Mike enjoyed his treat and she made it to her office without a lecture. Blake and the staff were there and she was serenaded in harmony and given a large bouquet of flowers. The mixed colours and scents were exquisite and she had to fight back tears. The year of campaigning without their families had forged friendships and Elizabeth was incredibly grateful for them. Not only had they been successful in helping her get elected- they had also made her laugh, open up as a woman who was no longer their boss, and they were all her family now. In her office was a certificate for she and Henry to have a night out at the newest fancy restaurant in DC. DS was donating their time to ensure she could blend in and have a romantic evening. There was a certificate for a couples massage - and for good measure there was a copy of Kat Sandoval's latest book. Russell had ensured there was an inscription, and she was told that lunch for her that day was going to be french fries and a big juicy burger. Housekeeping had even left her a few bars of her favourite chocolate and a few fancy hand creams and soaps in her powder room. Elizabeth was overwhelmed by all the emails from other leaders and Blake had shown her the social media pages where millions of Americans wished her a special day. Money had been donated to UNICEF in her honour and if that wasn't enough to ruin her mascara - her kids had sent her a photo album they clearly had worked on while she was on the road in a bus. Old memories, notes, ticket stubs and new photos of her very adult children were officially enough to do her in. She was about to call Henry when she looked up and he was there. _Blake knows me too well _she thought and she was in Henry's arms in a second; and he held her and rubbed her back. He listened as she hiccuped that she had no idea any of this was going to happen. He lifted her chin and smiled at her very proudly.

He told her as he had on election night and again at the inauguration that she had sacrificed a lot and was making a difference. He tenderly wiped away her tears and told her to stay seated on the couch. He called Blake and this time when her office door opened she yelped. Her three kids - _all 3 kids_\- walked in wearing broad smiles. Before she could process that she was attacked by the most epic laffy string fight she had ever experienced. Henry, her main staff including Mike B and the kids descended on her in a flurry of colours. She had zero defences and she was emotionally done. When the cans of string were empty, all she could do was helplessly look at her office and groan. She looked down at her outfit and sighed. She glanced at her family and giggled. There was string on everything. She muttered that they were all going to have to help her clean up because Thomas, Lena and Wally were going to kill her; and she was never going to get to eat the nice chocolate or use the new hand cream because the three of them were going to take the gifts back. Jason reached out and chucked her on the chin. He assured her that they had cleared this with everyone and Alison pointed out that Blake had been OK with it and was right there with the yellow can. Daisy waved the tablet and assured them that the whole thing was on video and Elizabeth was hugging the life out of Alison, laffy string be damned. The brunette girl seemed much older and more comfortable in her own skin. She noted her mother's disheveled appearance and carefully backed out of Elizabeth's arms and into Henry's grasp. Apparently this was all Dad's idea and the kids had agreed that it was perfect. The photo album had been Jason's idea. He remembered how carefully his parents had tried to make his childhood memories up to him because they had let it slide and Jason had also decided that his mom had been through a lot in her life. Stevie had another perspective. The whole family was a gift to one another and that as they were all getting older they owed their parents a huge apology for almost everything. She personally had been vexing and exhausting, and so had her siblings. Daisy interjected that all the McCord kids owed her an apology as did Henry - and that her birthday was coming. She then briskly snapped her fingers and everyone left. She could hear Mike begging to load the video up to the press and she tensed. Daisy shut him down instantly.

If there was a word that drove her crazy it was _optics. _

Henry was holding her up at this point and he pointed out that poor Mom probably needed a minute. The kids all kissed her and headed up to residence and he was left with his wife. His brown eyes looked kindly into her blown pupils and he moved some of the string from her face as he kissed her. She noted that she was covered in the string and he was not. He laughed. It would be his turn on the weekend but the opportunity to ambush MomPotus had been too great. She leaned into him and snorted. She thanked him for every moment of the last 33 years and he was happy that she had been surprised. She hummed that there had been enough surprise that morning to last her until the grand children arrived. MomPotus was the kind of nickname that stuck - and she knew it. Families were embarrassing but she had come to realize that there was nothing else she wanted in the world than this moment, in her husband's arms, knowing her kids and her staff loved her enough to embarrass the crap out of her. This was a moment she would savour. She would need strength to get the mounds of sticky foam off her couch, and out of her hair. It wouldn't be the first time she cleaned up this kind of mess - and she knew she could count on having to do it again. She was a McCord and that meant laffy string on your birthday. Being POTUS hadn't changed everything after all.

Fin of Part 1.

Henry


	2. LaffyString6

OK. I am not a White House historian. This is written as a feel good piece. So whether this could actually happen in March of 2027 I don't know. The idea is to just go with the feelings and think of how much Elizabeth loves Henry, and how much they love the kids

This takes place Post Series.

Xox Brenda who loves the reviews and cried at them and is now encouraged to write even more . Happy Birthday to Tim.

...

It was almost Monday March 1 2027 and that meant one thing in the McCord house. It was Henry's birthday and FGOTUS was turning 64. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but his wife knew how she did. As a seasoned second term President she was much more relaxed now than she had ever been since Conrad plucked her off the horse farm all those years ago. The McCord administration had had a rocky start. There was that horrible few months where they worried she would be impeached. Then Stevie had gotten married and she and Dmitri had moved to Africa for a while to help UNICEF with some on the ground projects. Alison had settled in Paris and was working with a fashion house on sustainable clothing that crossed all boundaries. Jason had become a reporter for the New York Times and he travelled the globe to get stories. He had finally realized how to work with the press and both Henry and Elizabeth has sobbed with relief when their son came home a couple of years ago a changed man. He had apologized for the immaturity, and thanked them for being so tough on him. But now, he was going to use those gifts of his to ask the tough questions. So globe trotting was now Jason's passion. Henry and Elizabeth had been very quiet that night. The conversation in bed had been bittersweet. Agreeing that they had healthy, happy kids who were changing the world had been their goal. But now none of the kids were home, and this new truly empty nest gave them both pride and pause. The McCord parents felt as if the townhouse had been full of family. The place where they raised their teenagers; whereas the White House was where the family had transformed into five adults.

Together over a bottle of scotch, Elizabeth and Henry toasted the past, cried a little over this lonely new phase- and hoped that in a few years everyone would settle back home in the US with spouses and grandchildren. It did however set Elizabeth to thinking about her spouse. The man who had always been there for her. The man she had begun to take for granted. They had been a team for so long - until the balance had shifted in 2014.

The last almost 13 years had been largely about her. The move to DC, SOS, a year of campaigning and now she was wrapping up everything she wanted for her legacy. She also had enough clout and confidence to know she could ask for a favour and when she needed to be prudent. So she had begun a small plot to make Henry feel like he was the star, and she could be the woman beside the man for a while. She knew Henry had a dream for their retirement and she was actually going to make it come true early. Planned by her, with help from the kids. She had consulted with his chief of staff Evan and with Jay, and Blake had taught her some of the skills he had so she could book the trip herself.

Feeling very proud she made sure she was up at the crack of dawn on the Saturday morning before his big day; and dressed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with a blazer. Her favourite loafers, and her hair in a simple ponytail. She kissed Henry soundly and he awoke- and gazed at her. Her grin was infectious and while he tried to tug her into bed she wouldn't give in. She promised him that yes it was Saturday the 27th of February but that he needed to get up and have a shower. She then made him dress similarly to her and then no breakfast. That would be on the plane she told him and she summoned the SS to get the luggage hidden in the guest room. Henry was speechless as she explained that she had been lying to him for the past week, and that she had been packing for their trip herself. She had been plotting and scheming for almost a year and now she was giving him a taste of what was to come when she would no longer be MomPotus.

They were going away and she had left Morejon to mind the store. This was going to be one week for him she explained. On the plane, she unveiled the itinerary. Paris because they were due to go when she was forced to choose Peoria and then she had fought with him about Jason. And yes- they would tour all the museums and churches with Alison and her fiance Zach Barnow. The A to Z couple had met at Stevie's wedding and were now planning one of their own. It would be just a few days because they were then headed to Rome where had booked an audience with the Pope, and a chance for Henry to spend time in the various libraries perusing documents that almost no one had ever seen. Then they were headed to Jerusalem where there would be more churches and a chance for Henry to explore so many of the places that were mentioned in the Bible. They had 10 days and she hoped that she would not need to do too much as POTUS. She had been saving from her salary since she was in her second year as SOS because she knew she had become a giant pain in the ass and that after the Iran trip- she knew how close she came to making him a widower. How much she relied on him to care for her, the house, the kids. He was her everything, her touchstone, her best friend and because of her - their 25 and 30 anniversaries had been less than perfect. The trip to Anguilla had not happened and Henry never complained. So this trip, she was paying for some of the use of Air Force One. The hotels she was paying for and the SS detail was small and she was paying for that too. She joked that he would have to support her for a few years because she had spent all of her profits on this trip because he deserved every minute of it.

Henry was in tears. _She had noticed. She had been thinking of him and she was now honouring him the best way she knew how. She was happy to spend the next 10 days as Mrs. Henry McCord, and also to retire and become a wife and a grandmother. To no longer belong to the American people but to be his again. _

He was excited to see the kids and he asked her huskily, how she was was going to manage touring all the churches. Her reply was that she imagined she would learn something and that if she felt bored or overwhelmed, she was just going to suck it up and deal with it because this trip was for him. It had nothing to do with her and she was pretty sure that they would find a way to satisfy one another in the hotels each night. Her eyes danced as she spoke and Henry felt almost breathless as he gazed into her fierce ocean eyes. _Oh Babe. _

Finally she pulled out an IPad and showed him a video. Henry was shocked and startled to see Paul McCartney there, with a personal message for him. _You are 64 now Henry McCord and your wife tells me that I am one of the guys you listen too. So here goes. From Elibet to Hank because she's pledging again to follow you always and anywhere. I am now a very old man, but she swears I still sound good. So here goes nothing. Paul began to play his guitar and sing _

_"When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now. _

_Will you still be sending me a valentine? Birthday Greetings? Bottle of wine. _

_If I had been out til quarter to 3 would you lock the door _

_Will you still need me? Will you still feed me when I am sixty -four. _

_You'll be older too_

_And if you could say the word, I could stay with you_

_I could be handy, mending a fuse when your lights have gone. _

_You can knit a sweater by the fireside _

_Sunday mornings go for a ride _

_Doing the garden, digging the weeds _

_ Who could ask for more _

_Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I am sixty- four?_

_Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear. We shall scrimp and save Grandchildren on your knee_

_Vera, Chuck and Dave _

_Send me a postcard , drop me a line _

_Stating point of view _

_Indicate precisely what you mean to say _

_Yours sincerely, wasting away _

_Give me your answer, fill in a form_

_Mine forevermore _

_Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty four?_

As Paul finished this acoustic version he said to Henry that if he had a wife who loved him this much, Henry was a lucky man. Paul then signed the guitar and said it would be shipped to the White House because he knew that Henry loved to play guitar and could add this left handed version to his collection. Then Paul said that Henry needed to close the IPad and turn around.

Elizabeth had two cans of laffy string and she blasted him with both barrels. Her eyes were full of love, mirth and tears.

Henry had never been happier, or more proud to be her husband. He was also suddenly not the least bit apprehensive to turn 64. He picked Elizabeth up, and carried her to the bedroom on the plane and made sure to rub as much of the string onto her face as he could. He also told her that while he loved Paul- if the grandkids were going to be named Vera, Chuck and Dave he wouldn't mind. He made love to her as passionately as he could and she was so relaxed and happy that she had made her husband feel so valued.

He told her she didn't have to do any of it and she demurred. He was the reason she wasn't a lonely woman sitting on the Middle East Desk or as Baghdad station Chief or in jail for plotting to overthrow a the Iranian government. He had taught her to trust in love. To trust in marriage no matter how hard it got. He had made her a mom. He had kept her accountable to herself and to her loved ones. As they weathered every hardship from Desert Storm, to becoming parents, to her career, to saving Dmitri and making Stevie the happiest girl in the world- to raising an anarchist who searched for truth and transparency and all the little things like stalkers, supporting the first female president and all the way back to when she almost died in Iran.

Henry shuddered. _That had been the worst . He had almost lost her twice. Once to the danger and once to the PTSD. _She had come back from both though and had accomplished so much as POTUS that he was prouder than he ever thought he could be.

He rolled her over and examined the curved scar on her lower back. She tensed first a moment and then she cried. It had been nearly 12 years and still, the memory of all that had happened with respect to Iran in her entire life made her dizzy. She snuggled into his chest and said that she owed her health to him and to Russell Jackson. But today they would soon be landing in Paris and it was time to go on a birthday adventure that celebrated life and that celebrated Henry's passions. Because when they retired she was prepared to have them stand beside one another as they welcomed a new chapter. Henry said that was symbolic too - because with the ERA ratification back in 2022, history would always know that Elizabeth McCord had changed America. She blushed. She said that he was doing it again. Making it about her. She asked him how his vision for arts and veterans had changed the path for America and he sighed and smiled. He had a thought - grinning he said he had a request for her when they retired. Puzzled, with her eyes wide and her nose and forehead crinkled she said she would do her best. Laughing Henry said he wanted her to take cooking classes. Groaning she buried herself under the covers, as the announcement came for them to get ready for the descent into Paris. Elizabeth said she would try, and for that Henry was grateful.

FIN and of course I own none of the characters, nothing with respect to Paul and the Beatles, this is just fan fiction and your kind words are my only profit.


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